Cloacal incompetence is a congenital anomaly in which the rectum, vagina, and urinary tract are fused into one place. In normal anatomy, these openings are separate. Cloacal incompetence occurs in approximately 1 in 20,000 to 25,000 female births. The anomaly is usually diagnosed before birth and the child will require treatment soon after birth.

Cloacal malformation is a congenital problem that affects only girls. This malformation can be detected at birth when the rectum, urethra and vagina cannot be separated into separate tubes but instead empty into a single opening. Therefore, treatment of cloacal malformation should be indicated early with surgical measures in the first months of the child's life.